Mission

I’m on a mission—a mission to rewrite dementia. Despite what is often portrayed in the media, people with Alzheimer’s disease are not lost. They still possess the ability to experience joy, to think, to laugh, to create. It is with this belief in mind, that I founded Mind’s Eye Poetry. It’s not just a business. It’s personal. I lost both of my parents to Alzheimer’s disease, back-to-back, in 2011 and 2012. Throughout their disease progression, I became increasingly frustrated with the so-called “therapies” that many memory care centers offer their residents—basically mindless, “keep ‘em busy” activities that not only dehumanize those for whom so much is being lost, but may, in fact, speed up the disease process. Rewriting dementia. ™ I longed for something more. Perhaps if I could find a way to interact with dementia patients on their terms, then I might be able to help them maintain their dignity, and in the process, help them reclaim a sense of empowerment. Mind’s Eye Poetry serves as a vehicle for much-needed change. Through the use of poetry facilitation, I help my poet/patients access memories and imagination. I turn those memories and imaginings into poems using their ideas, phrases, words, and even non-verbal cues. The resulting poems are stunning—testaments to the human desire for creative expression. Person first. Patient second. What a simple statement. Sadly, however, those living with dementia are often treated as non-persons, bodies whose brains have left them. While Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, one that ultimately claims the life of the one affected, it doesn’t have to be gloom and doom. Until the final stages of the disease, people living with dementia can love, laugh, create, and imagine. No, they may not be who they were before the illness, but we fail them when we pronounce them, “gone.”Poetry facilitation as therapy. As talk of the therapeutic benefits of Mind’s Eye Poetry spreads through the assisted living and memory care community in the Greater Dallas area, my business continues to grow. Increasingly, I am asked to speak to families, caregivers, and community groups, acting as both an advocate for those living with dementia-related illnesses, and as a changemaker. I know, without a doubt, that up until the final stages of the disease process, people with Alzheimer’s have the potential to be vital, engaging, creative individuals. We need only go on the journey with them, not expect them to remain within our narrow definition of someone who “used to be.”

Challenge. Empower. Dignify. I’m one of the fortunate ones. I’ve found a way to merge my passion with my strengths. Through the Mind’s Eye mission, I am spreading the word: People with Alzheimer’s still possess the ability to laugh, think, create, and authentically enjoy living in the moment. They deserve challenging, empowering, dignifying interactions. They deserve the best we have to offer.